Omaha daily bee., 1887-07-10
THAT COWARD.
BY THOMAS M'NALLY.

both without paternal heads or guides.
Dugal Moore, with his aged mother con-
Btituted the one; Allen Dean, with mother
and sister, held the other and ncighbor-
Ing homestead.
Both young men were not yet in their
majority when the stirring events of Sc
cession racked the union. They had been
close friends since boyhood. All the sur
rounding country knew that Dugal and
pretty Jennie Dean, Aliens young sister,
were and had been devoted lovers since
they were old enough to know the mean
ing of such word. likewise that the two
farms were to be united rs well as the
lovers so soon as things became more
settled"
But things" became more and more
unsettled, and when the clash of war
eventually caused all to realize that strife
was a fixed and inevitable fast, then the
troubles Of the expectant pair grew, TO
them, far darker than the clouds that
lowered over our land.
For Dugal had the fixedness of his own
opinions. and from the first he had been
an outspoken advocate of the Union,
while Allen, hot-headed, as strongly
espoused the cause of the South.
When the call of the drum reused men
t. arms Allen was among the first to en-
list under the confederate flag. Every
body expected that Dugal would be
stripes; but Dugal made no sign. He had
carefully weighed his duty to his country
and to the old mother who had long over.
taxed her strength to support him in his
helplessness. If he left her she must
starve, and to all the entreaties, demands
and threats of those whose principles he
supported his answer was simply: II can
1oova NV M ',
Nanny calf they called him and
many other hard names.
They promised to see that his mother
should want for nothing, but he, having
the long, clear head of the Scotch ances-
try, could easily see what such promises
were worth when all about him were as
poor as himself, and when the whole
lated of every available msn on one side
or the other. So he stuck TO his resolu-
tion and in n little time was really the
only able bodied young man i'll his Sec
ton.
And all secuted him and avoided him,
and with finger and tongue pointed HIM
out as that coward"
1t was hard on young fellow of
twenty who had been popular for those
feats of strength and agility that are
there SO highly estimated, and who had
been respected so greatly for his common
sense that his elders often sought and
were guided by his advice. And, worse
than all, JENNIE Dean cast him off; she
could and would have decided with HIM
politically, but to have the lover in whom
She had so gloried called that coward"
was far too much for n girl of that section
to bear, and she held her head higher
from him than all others.
Dugal stood even this without remon
STRANGE, though no one ever knew how
Lax,
worked like Il slave, and better, with his
surplus and hands he was always ready
to aid the many poor women who then
stood badly in need of help, and though
even those who received his bounty said
he was only trying to curry favor;" yet
this, with a scornful contempt of men,
parties who visited his section, saved him
from violence and death.
In the later part of 1862 Jennie Dean
was reused one night by few clods
thrown against the window of the room
i'm which she slept. Fearlessly she peeped
out; quickly she darted to the door of the
poor house, now poorer than ever. and,
opening 1t, admitted worn, starving,
ragged soldier, who, once he had reached
shelter, needed the assistance of her arm
to guide him in.
1t was Allen. Detailed for a scout, he
had been pursued by Union cavalry, and,
bOy-like, yearned to see those he loved,
had used his knowledge of by-paths and
sought his home and those he knew
would shelter him, hap what might.
Tenderly he was cared for and cried over
and fed and doctored rs best the sister
and mother could with the few simples at
their command. Then he was hidden in
little used loft under the roof and all
was quiet.
Half mile away, sitting head in hands
by the bedside of the mother to whom he
was so devoted, was Dugal, that cow
ard" But though the body OF his par.
not half an hour before. The poor
woman had bravely borne up against the
ill-repute of her son and the neglect of
her former friends, but hard work and
the quiet, inward suffering of wounded
prided had worn her out at last, and only
understand how and why her son had
rs he did, and with her parting breath
she blessed him and told him time would
make all things right.
AS the stalwart youth sat there, Won
dering IN his misery to whom he could
apply for help, he heard the tramp of
horses on the road. He heard them halt.
There was n shout
Hello, there! House!"
Motioning the old negro woman, their
only servant for years, 10 go out and see
what was required, he resumed HIS moody
silence and posture.
How long the woman was gone he did
not note, but she returned erect, with the
fire of wrath in her eyes.
"Iia! Mars Dugr. Dat 'er stuck up
Miss jimmie III sing fodder side 'er mouf
fore long l reckons. Dem dars Yam
KEGS, an deys goin' ter cotch dat ret
All II wots come skulkin' back yer. Dey
didn't jist know de road, but dun tell
'em de way, shuah"
Then Dugal arose with his face white
with rage; that woman had never been
nearer dead than that moment.
"You murderessr' he hisscd, and
sprang for her. But he restrained him.
self AS she covered before him.
Let the dead bury the dead he NUT
tered.
He gave her some directions as to going
for the one person on whom he could de-
pend, in case he did not return, for pay
ing the last service to that cold clay that
he left; then went and kissed the lips OF
his dead mother and strobe out into the
darkness.
Swift as deer. quiet es panther, he
made his way to the Dean house, by
paths that would be inaccessible to cav